(Photo by Bill Allen/NJ SportAction) KICK START: Hun School boys’ soccer star Frank Villaverde steps into the ball in action last fall. Junior forward Villaverde figures to be a key offensive performer for Hun this season. The Raiders kick off their 2010 campaign by hosting the Academy of New Church on September 16.

Gaining Confidence From Last Fall’s Success; Hun Boys’ Soccer Should Be Title Contenders

Bill Alden

Last fall, the Hun School boys’ soccer team showed a flair for drama.

The cardiac kid Raiders rallied several times to win a number of one-goal games on the way to a 12-4-3 record and the Mid-Atlantic Prep League (MAPL) title.

Welcoming back several key players from that squad, head coach Pat Quirk is hoping that his 2010 team can exhibit the same kind of character.

“There is definitely a confidence but we are trying to keep the team level-headed,” said Quirk, whose team starts the season by hosting the Academy of New Church on September 16.

“We have been reminding them that we had a lot of one-goal wins last year and that the reason we did was because we worked hard. We are seeing that work ethic; my seniors came to me and said they didn’t think we were running as much as last year. That is a good thing for a coach to hear.”

Quirk plans to be running in several players at the forward position as junior Frank Villaverde and senior Ryan Stokes together with sophomore newcomers Alex Griese and Jared Golestani should all see time up top.

“I sat them all down and said I am looking to run shifts to see who plays well together,” said Quirk. “Whoever is scoring goals is going to play. Frankie is looking very strong.”

Senior midfielder Julian Plummer figures to be one of Hun’s strongest players this fall.

“Plummer is going to be a force,” asserted Quirk. “He came back with an attitude I haven’t seen before; he told me he is going all for the team. We have him in center midfield and he will be running things for us from there. He is playing well with Connor Stevenson in the middle.”

The Raiders will also be using juniors Liam McManimon and Chris Caputo together with post-graduate Daniel Gonzales in the midfield.

Along the back line, Hun will be featuring a battle-tested, cohesive quartet of seniors in Mark Nicholas, Connor Marino, Chris Leach, and Brian Patriarca.

“We have the same four as last year,” said Quirk. “Nicholas and Marino are in the middle; they are both looking good. Leach and Patriarca will be on the outside. They are the same type of player; they are both very scrappy and understand the game really well.”

In Quirk’s view, senior goalie Jeff Kaminski has developed a good understanding of the game.

“Kaminski is back for third year and he is just as good as he has been,” added Quirk. “He is better with his feet and the guys have more confidence kicking it to him. He’s not afraid of any shot.”

Quirk is not afraid to say that he expects some big things this fall. “I am excited; I think we can do well,” maintained Quirk.

“We won MAPLs but lost to Pennington in the Prep A semis and Princeton High in the county semis. There is room for improvement. The guys are hungry to win MAPL again and do better in the tournaments. We need to continue to work hard and finish the opportunities that we get.”

Return to Previous Sports Story | Return to Top | Go to Next Sports Story